The Corthian Chronicles
by Mortedraconus
Summary: A story of a boy, a mage, and an evil emporor. In third person omnipotent, fantasy world before time, crossover to our time.
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1:

Chapter 1:

_Fumblfloot_

He wondered at the small hovel towards which he was walking. It seemed sad, that a man like that should live in such a horrible place. Why didn't he make a better one? As he got nearer to the hut he thought,"I guess I'll find out soon enough." He knocked on the door, and waited. He could hear a strong gait walking towards the door from the other side.

"Who is there?" demanded a deep, strong voice from the door.

"I am a weary traveler named Lavt, and am in need of shelter!" he said. He felt bad for deceiving this man, and wasn't sure the man didn't already know who he really was, but it was his job.

After a moment's pause, the door opened and he was allowed in. "welcome to my … unseemly abode," Said his host. "I am Fumblfloot, the peasant, and am glad to offer a fellow shelter and food, for a night." The last few words were said like an order, rather than a welcome, and he got the distinct feeling that this man didn't like visitors. He followed Fumblfloot to a spare room that he used for storage, and then put his stuff down.

"Thank you, Fumblfloot. I am very grateful," he said.

"Don't get used to it; I don't like people very much."

"So I noticed, but why?"

"Mine is to know my reasons, and yours is to not ask."

"That reminds me of someone I once met, he was very famous."

"Well, I know of many famous people, which one?"

"First, are you a fan of the emperor?"

"Not at all, he made me what I am today, I was once rich."

"Well then, it was Karairun!"

"You knew him?"

"I only met him, but he was an amazing Mage, and a warrior of legendary proportions, I got the chance to duel him and lost horribly."

Fumblfloot remained silent for a moment, and then said "Hmm…. I don't think he was that strong, I met him too, and he was a very mislead man. He killed his mother and all the rest of those he loved through his vanity and spellworking."

"You must have known him well, only his closest and the kings greatest advisors knew of that."

"How did you know that?"

"Mine is to know my reasons, and yours is to not ask."

"Touché, Touché."

"So lord, why do you not use your power?"

"Oh, so you do know?"

"My job is to get you back; we need your help."

"Who?"

"The people, the subjects, the court, everyone! You went from hero to hated enemy in a night because you didn't defend the people that needed you! My parents, among hundreds of others, died because of you! You ask who? My parents needed you, but you weren't there! Now we need you, so come on!"

"Why should I come?"

"Why!? Why!? Because I was heir to the Carinus fortune, I might have been emperor; I could have made things better! My parents were killed, and it might as well have been you! I come here asking you to fix your mess, and you ask me why you should save hundreds of people?!"

"Save them? They need no saving, they need to change their government themselves, they can't expect other people to do it for them. The laws require that they be able to dethrone the king, so why don't they?"

"You know why! The Emperor got the senate to nullify the law that allowed for that! Everyone knows that! He kills anyone who researches it! I spent more money researching you than my father did in his whole life! And that life was cut short because of YOU!"

"I cannot speak to you young Fadras, until you are calmer. You are not sane at the moment."

"And why should I be! I meet the man, who killed my parents, and I can't avenge them, no, instead I have to bring him back into fame!"

"Ahh… so you dislike me then?"

"I think that has been established!"

"Yes…"

"Now, before another person dies, help us!"

"No."

"No? NO? Why in the hell not?"

"Because you didn't say the magic word!"

"I DON'T NEED TO ASK PLEASE WHEN IT IS YOUR MESS I WANT YOU TO CLEAN!"

"No need to shout, but it is not my mess."

After an angry silence "Fumblfloot" says: "And, you would do well to remember who's house it is that contains you, for the almighty does not favor those who repay kindness with disrespect."

After another silence, during which the boy seems to be trying to calm himself down, he says: "Not your mess? How so?"

"Is it I who attacked the city, I who dealt the death blow to your parents, I who changed the law, I who reduced the empire to rubble?"

"Grrr…. I…. I Guess…'sigh' No, it wasn't you. I'm sorry, this confrontation opened up an old wound that still pains me."

"I understand, this conversation wasn't easy for me either."

"So will you come and help us?"

"No, I can't."

"Why?"

"I… 'sigh' I'm just not what I used to be…"

"What…what do you mean, 'Not what you used to be'?"

After a long pause Fumblfloot says: "I…I can no longer perform even the simplest forms of prestidigitation, much less great spells."

"But lord, you are the greatest mage in history! How could you lose your power?"

"You are mistaken, I am not the great mage I once thought I was, but as for why I am not, and how I have lost the gift, those are for another time."

"Well! I didn't expect this! How will I ever tell them we have no great mage? Without a wizard, we won't have a chance of freedom. 'sigh' I guess that is it though. I should get some sleep. Goodnight, great Fumblfloot, I will leave tomorrow."

As Fadras walked off to bed, Fumblfloot said "Stay a few days, I'm beginning to think that I was wrong about people, and want to see if I can stand a few more days of you."

Fumblefloot walked off to bed, and Fadras lay down to sleep. However, due to the recent events, he couldn't seem to get to sleep. His talk with the old sage had reopened the old wound caused by that day. He could remember it as clear as yesterday. As he finally drifted off to sleep, he began to dream it again….


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 1:

**Chapter Two: **

**_The dream _**

He jolted upright, sweating profusely, startled out of his sleep by the dream, the dream that had seemed so real, that seem to last for ten years, the dream of horror and death, the dream of the fall of the empire. He rushed into his parent's room and threw the door open, and seeing if they were awake. Seeing them peacefully asleep, he ran downstairs and started on his chores. Suddenly there was a knock at the door. He wondered who it could be at this hour, but answered the door anyway. Suddenly an immense number of soldiers poured into his house. "Oh no! Not again!" He thought. The soldiers pushed him aside and he hit his head.

When he woke up it was dark. The solders seemed to have gone, but he couldn't be sure. He got up slowly, his head hurt really badly. He walked slowly to the stairs. The sun had gone down a few hours ago according to the mageclock on the table, and the only light came from a faint werelight at the top of the staircase. He walked up the stairs, slowly, and as he did he wondered why his parents didn't have more lights on. Could he have been out till they went to sleep? His father and mother were always up late dealing with the affairs of the state, and were almost always up till at least twelve of the clock. He reached the top of the stairs, and saw the hall in shambles. Did the soldiers do this? Why hadn't Mom and Dad picked up the mess? He walked into his room and looked around. The whole place had been turned upside-down! His toys, his instruments, his armor, all of it was on the floor, in a mess! He ran to his sister's room, and saw the same thing. Struggling to suppress the rising fear, he rushed into his parent's room. He started to look around and saw it, it was horrible, why? Why? Oh God, anything but that please no! It seemed to take him a second to assimilate what he saw, but before it dawned on him, the scene disappeared, and he felt like he was rising, floating into a different realm, and he jolted upright.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 1:

**Chapter 3**

** _The Next Step_**

He awoke with a jolt, and suddenly thudded to the floor! Startled into full wakefulness, he wondered about the reason he would have been in the air in the first place. He was distracted, however, and soon put it to the back of his mind as he thought about the dream. He had gotten closer to them this time, had almost seen the carnage, the death he had so long hidden from himself and from the rest of the world. He, in waking hours, could never remember those long hours he took cleaning the mess, hiding lest the soldiers came back, and trying to wake himself from the horrible nightmare. He wondered at the ability of human beings to keep themselves from the things that hurt them the most, even if it had already happened. He got up, wiped of his face, and looked out the window. He saw the line of light against the horizon that foretold of the coming dawn. He walked over to his pack, and took out a sausage, some biscuits, and a piece of bacon. He went outside, and gathered some wood for a fire. While he gathered, his mind kept going back to the flash of his parents, lying on the floor, covered in blood. It was the only image his mind had relinquished, but it was enough to send shivers down his spine. He wanted to forget it all. After he gathered enough wood, he began to set it up so that it would burn hotter for longer. This, among other skills, where things his father gave to him before he died. After a while, the former magician came out, and asked him what he was doing.

"Making us breakfast, if you don't want any you can always give me your half."

"Though I probably should to make up for your parent's deaths, I am going to chose to eat."

The nonchalant reference to his still fresh memories of his parents put a damper on the mood of the young boy. After a short, but awkward, pause, the boy said, "I hope you don't mind I used your flint & tinder, but mine broke yesterday."

"Flint? Tinder? I am to poor too be having those things. I use a lens, or I use two normal rocks."

But, I used your two rocks, the ones marked "fire", and they worked perfectly!"

"Hmm… I think I know which ones you are talking about." After a second the man said, "What did you drop in your room earlier? It sounded heavy."

After a pause the boy decided not to tell the man that it was him, when he woke up, that had fallen down, because he didn't want to get into a discussion about reasons at the moment, and that was just what the man would probably do. "Just a book of mine, nothing breakable."

After a moment, the man sighed. "Oh… Ok" He seemed to emanate disbelief and disapproval.

"So, what, if you could have anything for breakfast, would you have?" Asked the boy.

"I am not used to fancy food anymore, so probably just eggs and bacon, or an omelet, though that second one would be kind of extravagant. So, what do you have?"

"I guess it is your lucky day, because I am making eggs, bacon, and sausage."

"I guess that you might be right! But can you give me help with splitting some logs after breakfast?"

"Is that your real reason for wanting me here? To do your chores? Well, we'll discuss that after we eat, when we are both in a better mood."

"I guess I can agree to that."

After breakfast the two men sat together, not saying a thing, but looking up at the sky. After a few minutes Karairun said, "Every day, when I had the gift, I thanked Him for it, I asked Him to allow me to help more people. The day of the attack, I was angry; sad for the gift I had been given. And that is when and why I lost it. I now thank him for the removal of the power. I always taught the principle that once you get ultimate power, you must take on ultimate responsibility, or it corrupts ultimately. In the end I couldn't bear the weight of my responsibility, but I am now free of that burden."

A long silence followed, in which the boy looked thoughtful. The clouds moved overhead, the grass swayed in a gentle wind, the pond rippled gently, and a rabbit or two nibbled at the grass on the edge of the field that the man had cleared for himself. Suddenly, the wind rose. The rabbits lifted their noses, turned, and ran. The boy noticed this at the same time as the man, and both sat up. The wind came from the north, and so both looked that direction. Out of the forest, looking hungry, came a wolf. The boy leaped up and rushed into the house, but came back out with his sword.

"Why are you going to kill the creature? He is just hungry."

"I mean no offence, but he could get in your house easily, and I don't intend to be his lunch; I haven't even gotten mine yet."

"Very observant. I see that you have at least learned some of battle and tactics."

"Yes, and a good deal of swordplay, but I thought at first I would be using it ON you, not defending you."

"Many things do not end up as we had expected. I wait to see how much trouble a dumb beast will give you."

The wolf had been advancing slowly, and now stopped just the other side of the house: a little over five feet away. He stood eyeing the two, as if sizing up his next meal. The boy suddenly lunged at the beast, and slashed downward. To his surprise, the beast jumped sideways, avoiding the blow, and slashed with its right paw. The boy dodged, and slashed at the leg. The beast lunged at him, and knocked the boy down, but the boy pushed it off. The two combatants stood for a second, and the boy thought he saw a glimmer of intelligence in the creature's eyes, almost as if it were testing him. Suddenly, he thought of something he had once done in a duel. It had been the hardest battle of his life, at the time, and he almost lost. He had only won by using a battle cry he had thought up on the spot. He lunged at the beast screaming "Altuus!" The creature seemed to freeze in time for a split second, but leaped out of place half a second before his head would have been chopped off. He sat there, looking at the boy, as if daring him to try again. The boy was in a slightly worse condition. The battle cry seemed to have sapped a large part of his energy, as if he was physically trying to restrain the wolf. He was racking his brain, hoping for something else, when he remembered the mage's battle cry. He leaped into the air, coming down with the yell made famous by his current landlord, "Restrairus!" The creature seemed to be struggling to move, but he acted as if bound by the air itself. He came down on the creature, but at the last second his weapon was blocked y the surprising appearance of the mage's sword. "He has done his job, let him go."

Suddenly, the wolf turned to the mage and said, in perfect Corthian, "Thank you, I thought my favor was about to cost me more than the food had cost you!"

"No problem friend, I would not allow harm to come to one of the last full Liken folk."

"Wait a second! Liken folk? Old friend? I don't know what is going on, but I want to find out, and one of you is going to tell me now! Wolves are not supposed to talk, and I am not supposed to be stopped when killing vermin! Oh, no offence meant, I of course meant normal wolves that steal, and cannot make bargains or understand moral ideas, I am not used to animals who can know what men know."

"None taken, and all you needed to do is ask. I am a Liken folk, or wolf person. Most can only change at full moon now, and the few that have full control over their power are very spread out. My friend here has been helping feed me and my village quite a while. I, as pack leader, was returning the favor. As for the rest, I'll let him chose what to explain and what to keep to himself. Like he says, "Mine is to know, and yours is to not ask." Did I get it right old friend?"

"Actually it is, "Mine is to know my REASONS," but you have the gist of it."

"Karairun, will you please tell me what is going on here?"

"Later, boy, later. I need to get something ready."

"Get something ready? What do you need to get ready?"

"You will know when you need to know."

"Please, lord, tell me instead of speaking all of this wizardly aversion."

"I admire your pluck, but my preparations will have to be revealed another time."

"Why lord? Can you not tell me?"

"Hah! You will not get anything out of me that easily!"

"Okay…okay sorry, I am a little flustered."

"That is normal since you just met our first magical creature, battled one, defeated it, and befriended it, all in two minutes!"

"Okay, I guess that **would** be normal."

"Darn tootin'! In fact, I believe you did pretty well for a first timer."

The silence that ensued was very deep, and seemed to be filled with the thoughts both boy and Master were thinking. After a time, the master walked into the house, leaving behind the words, "Don't follow me until you are called, and please don't wait until I have to come out to get you once you are."

Sitting puzzling about what the mage had just said, as well as what he had said earlier, and on the words of the wolf-man, the boy felt confused. His head had recently received more information shoved into it than he could process under even normal circumstances, and these were not normal circumstances. He sat a moment, allowing the information sink in, and then, remembering something else his father had taught him, began the chant that helped him remember in his studies. "Comtus estus memrus penumus, Comtus estul memrun permo, Comtus estus memrus penumus, comtan estonul menomurun permanat." After a few minutes, he knew he wouldn't forget what he had learned. He then began to sort through all of the info. He knew that there were wolf people after all. He also knew that the great magician then had befriended a clan of them, and that for some reason, he had asked the leader to fight the boy. He also knew that soon the mage would probably give him another test of some sort, and that he seemed to have passed this one. But what was it all for? Why had it all happened? Now he waited for a bit, and then felt compelled to go inside. He waited for the magician to call. But as he waited, it dawned on him that this might be the test, and walked inside. The magician looked up, and said, "Very good job, my boy. I didn't expect you to respond so soon!"

"But I thought you couldn't do magic!"

"And so I can't, but calling with one's spirit isn't magic anymore than knowing right from wrong if you just learn how."

"Okay, I can see that. Now what tests have you for me now? And when will I know what you were preparing?"

"Go outside, and cut down the tree at the north end of the clearing."

"Which one?"

"You will know. Now go!"

"Okay, okay, I'll go. Be back when I figure out which tree."

As the boy walked out, he grabbed and axe, and walked to the north end of the clearing. "Okay, which one?" As he stood studying, he listened. As time went on he realized that he seemed to be hearing voices from the woods! He looked, but couldn't see anyone. He looked around, but saw nothing. He decided to listen so he could see what they were saying. After a while he realized, it was the trees! Something about what had happened that day had made him susceptible to the voices of minds and other life. He listened, and found one that didn't speak. He tried to call for the mage, but then realized that this was probably the test. He decided to try to speak to the trees. He tried, but couldn't receive an answer. He thought this out for a while, and tried again, this time in broken Arconian, a language used by dragons in legend, and in which most creatures can not lie. He did this, and heared a response almost immediately. He was told that she was dead, and only termites and pests resided in her hollow corpse now. The trees were sad to see her go, but she was already dead, so they wouldn't mind so much, and they were glad he had more sense than other humans, and asked nicely instead of randomly cutting down everyone. So he chopped her down and brought her to the house. "Oh mage, I hope you wanted the dead one, because that is the one I brought!"

The mage walked out, and said "Dead one? How did you know?"

"Her friends told me!"

"Ah. So you did learn my lesson."

"Yes, but not quite how I expected to learn it."

"Do I really have to repeat myself?"

"No."

"Good. Now let us relax, that is enough testing for one day."

That night the boy slept easy, and without dreams.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 1:

**Chapter 4: **

** Day Two**

The next day, Fadras woke up with a start, and realized he was staring straight into the face of the old mage! He turned over, preparing to get some more sleep, regardless of what the mage wanted, when he felt himself floating up off the bed, dangling by his foot as if a giant troll was picking him up. Bending his back to look behind him, he saw the old mage smiling, staring at him and laughing.

Stammering with surprise and confusion, all the boy could get out was "But… But I… You, what? How? Cant… When…"

Chuckling, the mage asked "But I can't do magic, how did I get my powers back, why did I lie to you, and what spell is it that is carrying you up by your ankle? Is that what you are asking?"

"Um… I... yes."

" I didn't get my powers, I didn't lie to you about it, I can't do magic, and if I could, not all magic is spells, some is the control of raw energy, as if with a hand."

"But… I'm flying… air… my foot is falling asleep… how?"

"Well, as you know, not all trolls are stupid, and some can even become magicians. This is Krrllark'kllass, a friend and fellow magician. He is using a sunscreen spell, a spectral form spell, and an invisibility spell. He is reaching thru the roof, and picking you up by the leg, and he did it because I asked him to, and he owes me a great many favors, as do the rest of his village."

"Calling favors again? First the wolf-man, Liken, sorry, now a troll, and not any troll, a magician troll who is using about as many powerful spells as he will probably be able to do until he goes to sleep to wake me up. Why are you owed so much by so many, what are you so hard-set on teaching me, and could you please tell him to Put Me Down?!"

After a chuckle, the mage said, "One at a time! First, When I was training, before I became proud and egotistical, I helped many people. Second, I am not the most powerful mage in history, you are, and I am going to teach you if it kills both of us, and third, No."

"I'll accept the first two, but why won't you tell him to put me down?"

"Because this is the next test."

"You're going to make me dangle from a troll until I figure out what you are trying to teach me?"

"That seems to be the gist of what I said, doesn't it?"

"And this will teach me what, other than how to plot a mighty mage's death?"

"Bold words for someone hanging from a troll's grip, a troll, if you forgot, that owes me more than your life is worth to him by far."

"Oh be assured, it won't hinder me, and if it could, I wouldn't have said it."

"Truly, you are braver than me! I wouldn't insult the ability of a troll mage who was holding me upside-down if my life depended on it, because if you do, you won't have a life."

"Braver than you, and apparently a better mage according to you, as well as a man of noble and high blood, even in this emperor's reign, while you came from peasants, who came from slaves, whom you killed."

"Now I'm never telling him to let you down."

"Fine, I'll get out myself!"

"I'd love to see you try."

"Fine!"

"Fine."

"Fine!"

"Quit talking and start doing, oh mighty mage warrior of such noble blood."

The boy looked around for a minute, caught sight of his saber, and tried to reach for it. He couldn't quite reach, but he knew he could if he tried harder! So he did, and failed, and did, and failed. By this time the mage was beginning to snicker. The boy shot him a look sharp as knifes, but the mage just laughed harder. The boy stopped for a second, looked around him again, and thought of something. The mage had said, "Not all magic is spells, some is the control of raw energy, as if with a hand." He focused his mind, and tried to reach for his sword with his spirit. The mage stopped laughing for a minute and watched the boy. The boy was hanging, eyes closed, focusing his energy, his body beginning to glow green and orange. He opened his eyes, which had become a uniform black, and stretched his hand out, and the mage could see with his trained eye a tremendous hand reaching out towards the sword. The boy tried to pick up the sword, but the spirit hand was so big, that it couldn't pick up something that small. The mage Burst out in laughter, only to be surprised by another spirit hand slapping him across the face, knocking him back. The boy was now glowing with so much power, the mage could feel it shaking the house, and the hand holding the boy was visible, as if his power had overridden the spell cast by the ogre mage. The boy used the main spirit hand to, instead of grabbing the sword, form another sword of pure magic power. The boy focused, his hair now flying wildly around his head, and he manifested the sword into reality, a beautiful thing looking like it was made out of mythril and diamond together, and glowing madly with the energy within it trying to expand out. The boy worked with his spirit form, now almost fully separate from himself, forming the sword into perfect physical being. He then took his other sword, and fused them, mingling the honor of his family and the history of his lineage's battles with the amazing power of a sword made of solidified magic. The finished product was carried by his spirit, and put in his hand. He took it and slashed at the hand holing him, cutting the spells the ogre mage had cast, and causing the hand to let go, but leaving no wound. The boy fell, landed on his head, and got up, holding the sword in his had, seeming as if he hadn't slept in almost a year. He looked at the mage, who was stunned with disbelief, and said, "See? Told you so." Then, he collapsed.

When he woke up about two hours later, He awoke looking strait into the face of the mage. "Do I have to see your face first thing every time I wake up?"

"Maybe. How do you feel?"

"Fine of course, Why?"

"You don't remember?"

"What?"

Suddenly he felt himself lift up by his ankle. "Oh, that. Did I pass?"

"Not exactly, but I think I need to rethink your curriculum."

"Oh?"

"You were supposed to manifest your spirit hand, grab your sword, and get yourself down, not forge a sword out of pure magic, fuse it with an already magical sword, and cut spells open that had been cast by one of the most powerful mages alive today."

"Oh, and I thought I was getting the hang of this lesson thing."

"Well I didn't expect so much raw power to exist in one human being."

"Maybe I didn't use just my power. I was drawing power from the guy holding me up too you know."

"That in itself is an amazing ability, and he doesn't have enough power to do that, even if he and I had tried together. You used power drawn from the air around you."

"Is that good bad or both?"

"Yes."

"That bad?"

"Unfortunately."

"What can I do?"

"Well, you can probably bestow magery on anyone with that kind of power, which is a big problem, since only HE is supposed to be able to do that, and if you ever lose control of your anger, well, there goes existence."

"Oh, is that all?"

"No, it also means you need to make some more of those magic items. Lets try for a shield."

"Is this a test?"

"No, it is a lesson. You will learn to do that without drawing any energy directly from yourself, saving your strength making you the only mage to be able to cast as many spells as you want."

"Wow, I guess I was right, I am a better mage than you!"

"Unfortunately, maybe not as mature."

"Ok, but can I sleep till tomorrow?"

"Ok, ok. Goodnight."


End file.
